Switching machine



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SWITCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.24, 1920,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I I [NR/ENTER t N THuMAs fizz LEBUN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' THOMAS FITZGIBBON, OF SH IIERIDAIT 'I'OXIVNSHIP, SCOTT COUNTY, IOWA.

SWITCHING MACHINE.

T 0 all to hem z'tmay concern Be it known that I, THOBLAS FrrzcrnnoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sheridan; Townshio, in the county of Scottand State of Iowa,-have invented a new and useful Switching Machine, of which the following is a specification. I My invention relates to improvements in switching machinery conjunctivelyoperating between a car and the track by which a switch provided with automatic means for closing, may be opened.

The objects of my invention are: First: to provide -means of holding a switch closed when not being opened automatically. for switching.

Second: to provide means of opening the switch when desired. Third: to provide means .of opening the switchfrom the car, while it is in motion. Fourth to provide means whereby the operator of the carinay open the switch without assistance and without alighting, stopping his car, or checking its speed.

Fifth: to afford. facilities for the opera tionof levers between the trip upon the car, and, the switch point, capableof conjunctive operationwhile the car is in motion, with result of opening theswitch. V

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in-which p Figure l is aside sectionalelevation of a street car upon a car track, and with parts of the working mechanism of my invention mounted thereon, in working position, serve ing to illustrate their mode of attachment and operation.

Fig. 2 is a, plan view of' the trucks of a car with parts of the working mechanism of my invention mounted thereon serving to further illustrate the manner'of attachment, mode of operation and working plan of those parts with referenceto the trucks and car.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the suspension shaft disclosing the-means provided for securing the same to the car and the means provided for mounting the switch plowson the ends of its arms.

Fig. l is a plan view of a section of a car track, disclosing a switch formation, a switch point and in dotted lines, the track-switch lever, track-switch lever'casing in section and the spring means provided therein.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the track-switch lever and in section the. track-switch lever Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed August 24, 1920. Serial 30,405,734.

casing and disclosing the spring means provided for holding the switch point closed when at rest.

v Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a broken portion of the switch plow and switch plow levers, disclosing the manner in which the switch plow operates upon the track-switch lever, and disclosing .the position of the switch plow lever relative to the Wheel in action. p

,7 Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are inserted for illustrative purposes, the invention therein disclosed, being claimed by me in a separate application for patent.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

For basic illustration I divide my invention into two-parts; the one part I denomihate the car mechanism and the other I denominate thetrack mechanism (patent for which I claim in a separate application), and it will be observed that neither part will function out of its place or without or inde pendent of the other part in any manner to produce the desired result. To open a switch equipped with a switch lever having a trip mechanism consisting of a perpendicularly protruding trip capable of lateral operation provided adjacent the track of a rail road for the purpose of facilitating the actuation of the switch lever byswitch plow means. I have provided carswitch lever means as follows: 3

Upon the inside of each pair of wheels 2, located on the side of each truck 14, adjacent to the point of their contact with the rails and 23 and parallel therewith, I provide a switch plow 3, which switch plow 3 is constructed of an oblong metallic strip of length sufficient to reach from the front of one of the wheels of the truck to the rear of the truck wheel immediately following the first, and having its ends suitably curved and in use is suspended horizontally edgewise on the inner sides of and parallel withsaid wheels, the points 3 of its curved ends being within the radius of an ordinary car wheel and are carried above the track line. but are so suspended that they may be dropped sulliciently low to suitably engage the trip of the track switch lever.

, In running on the straight track this switch plow 3 is carried high, but when it is desired to switch it is forced downward and toward the point of contact with the trip of the track switch lever, and at the moment the frog of a switch is reached is forced when desired, between rail 23 and the flattened upturned angle trip 26 of rod 31 and by the curve of switch plow 3, forces the switch point 25 open, and holds it open during the passage of switch plow 3, so that both wheels 2 of the truck 14 are turned into the switch, andon the switch plow 3 being released it is raised by spring means 13 to its former position and when angle trip 2-6 is released, the switch point 25 is forced back to its original position by spring 29 and will be observed that the operator is required to maintain the switch plow 3 depressed until both trucks of the vehicle have passed through the switch, to avoid derailment by the return of track switch lever'26 to its normal position upon the re turn of plow 3 to its elevated position.

For the purpose of raising, lowering and holding in place switch plow 3, I provide each pair' of trucks 14: with suspension shafts 1 which suspension shafts are secured to the bottom of the car 1, by means hereinafter mentioned.

' Suspension shafts l very near their ends are bent at right angles, forming sh ort nibs '5 which operate as journals when inserted in suitable holes (not shown) provided in each end of switch plow 3, as shown in Fig. 3, andat a distance from their ends are again bent right angularly, forming arms 5, in directions opposite to the angles of nibs 5", permitting suspension shaft 41 to span the truck 14, allowing arm portions 5 to extend downward suitably from the top of truck 14: to permit the end nibs 5 to engage the holes in switch plow 3, suspending the same beside the insides of wheels 2;

i In the middle of suspension shaft t is bent an oblong loop 41, directioned parallel with arms 5 thereof, for the purpose of providing lever means for the manipulation of suspension shaft 1 when secured to the car 1.

Suspension shaft 1 is attached to a U shaped hanger strap 7, having its ends turned outwardly at right angles forming short nibs having holes therein 7 for insertion of stay bolt fastenings (not shown), provided on the bottom of the car or bolster of the truck, the U shaped hanger 7 being further centrally provided in its closed end with another hole- 7 for the insertion of a stay-bolt or other suitable fastening means, whereby the. said hanger may be attached to clevis T I For the attaching of suspension shaft 4 to hanger T, I provide clevis 7? which is provided with a hole in its closed end for the insertion of bolt 7 and its arms 6 are each provided with an eye in their extremity, and the arms 6 by the eye means are fitted upon suspension shaft 1 on either side of oblong loop at, and are sufficiently wide apart so that they fit snugly against the angles created by the down turning of oblong loop 1, and it will be observed that when two' of the U shaped hanger straps 7 are secured to the car truck, one at either end, and two suspension shafts 1 having switch plows 3 mounted on the nibs 5 thereof are secured thereto by two clevises 7 the switch plows 3 are suspended beside the inner sides of and parallel with the wheels 2 of the truck, so that when the arms 5 of suspension shaft 1 are swung backward or forward by the movement of pull rods 8, 15 and 16 actuated by trip crank'and pin 11, the, switch plows 3 are raised or lowered; l i

The arms 5 of suspension shaft 4 are moved. forwarder backward by'means of pull rods secured tothe closed end of oblong loop 4, which operates as a lever,las hereinafter described; I

In order to hold'switch plows ,3 up, I centrally provide in the side sills of truck 14:, inwardly protruding arm braces 22, between which, and thearin 5 of' suspension shaft 4;, suitably spaced, and secured by hole means, for-engagement with its ends, I provide coil springs 13, with the result that the coil springs when so attached caiise oblong loop at and arms5 to stand suspended ati an angle of about i5 degrees with their'lower ends 5* extending, toward the center of the car.

On the under side of the floor of each end of the car at one side thereof I proyide a suitable stand 12, secured to said car 'by suitable means, and in its lower end Iprovide a boxing or other suitable hole means 12 for the reception of a journal trip crank. 'Intlie floor of eachend of the car I provide a hole 11 and in it I loosely secure a pin 11, suited for its bottom end to act upon the arm 10 of the trip "crank, its top provided with a suitable head to be operated by the foot of the'operator. In each end of thecar I provide a trip crank having a long arm 10 and a short arm 9, bent at right angles, each disposed toward the car,"radiating from the boxing 19?, the short arm 9, having eyemea'ns in its outward extremity suit-able to receive the end of pull rod'8. Centrally disposed on the under side of the floor of'car 1, I provide a basket brace 18 constructed of strap metal or any suitable material having a flanged top 18" suitable to be bolted to the floor vof the car 1, and having two sides '18 of a length and width suilicient to support a bottom base 18 In the bottom base 18 I pivotally provide lever means 17, consisting of lever having a hole 20 in its'middlc and ahole 19 and 21, at each end in which I secure the ends of pull rods 15 and 16, hereinaftermentioned. Lever 17 is centrally pivotally secured to the top of bottom base 18 by means of bolts.

For the purpose of producing reciprocal movements between 1 the car-switch-lever means provided upon'each truck, I attach pull rods 15 and 16 to the respective oblong loops 4, in each of the suspension shafts 4E nearest the middle of car 1, by eye means turned in the ends of said pull rods the other ends of said pull rods are secured respectively by eye means formed ,in their ends, conjunctively with other eyemeans in the ends 19 and 21 of lever 17, respectively to the respective ends 19 and 21 of the lever 17 the said pull rods 15 and 16 being of suitable length to be found in apposition when springs 13 which are connected by bent eyemeans between said arms 5 and braces 22 are disconnected from either said arms 5 or braces 22 so that when the operator at either end of the car presses his foot on bolt 11, he draws pull rods 8 and 15 forward, and by means of lever 1'7, forces pull rods 16 and 8' at the opposite end of the car backward, thus forcing switch plows 3, found on either truck into the same position at the same time, and which while not interfering with the free continuous movement of the wheels, produces contact between switch plows 3 of each truck, and the nib 26 of track-switch lever 31, thus opening the switch for each pair of trucks and insuring a safe and speedy operation of the switch.

I claim:

1. In a switching'machine, a shaft suspended by hanger and clevis means from the bottom side of a car; the shaft having arm members downwardly extending at each side of the car, capable of oscillation, the arm members having nib ends rightangularly bent, outwardly disposed in their ends, each pair of arms supporting on either side of the car a switch plow, the shaft also having disposed in its middle an oblong loop member paralleling its arm members.

2. In a switching machine having a pair of suspension shafts provided at its end with suspension arms capable of supporting switch plows, said shafts each being also centrally provided with an oblong loop directioned with said suspension arms; a trip crank and a pull rod; said pull rod having eye means bent in each of its ends, capable of connecting with the loop of the suspension shaft and one of the arms of a trip crank; a trip crank consisting of a journal pivotally supported by a boxing secured upon a stand connectedly attached to the bottom of the end of a car,the trip crank having arm members of unequal length'radiating from said journal, the arms directioned at right angles from each other, the shorter arm having'eye means provided in its end, capable of admitting the attachment thereto. of the end of a pull r0d, the longer arm having its end flattened, suited to admit its being actuated by end pressure of a bolt loosely mounted ina hole in the bottom of the car, the whole capable of actuating the suspension shaft. when connected by the pull rod to the loop of the suspension shaft; said shafts mounted on the bottom of a car; suspension arm means provided on the ends of each of said suspension shafts; switch plow means secured upon the ends of said arms; said switchplow means capable of co-acting with a switch lever; other pull rod means connectedly attached between one of the ends of a lever horizontally and centrally disposed, pivotally secured unto the bottom of a car, at one end, and the said loop of said suspension shaft at its other end, said other pull rod means being so secured in such manner as to produce co-action between a pair of suspension shafts at one end of a car, and another pair of suspension shafts similarly equipped and attached to said horizontally and centrally disposed lever, at its other end.

3. In a switching machine having a pair of suspension shafts mounted connectedly between the bottom of a car and a truck, said suspension shafts actuated by a pull rod connectedly attached between a trip crank and a loop provided in one of said suspension shafts, and also having another pull rod connectedly attached between a similar loop provided in the other of said suspension shafts and a horizontally disposed pivotally secured, centrally attached connecting lever; a basket brace having a bottom and two sides, the top of its sides having flanged edges, in which to provide hole means for securing the same to the bottom of the car, the said basket brace being centrally dis posed, securely attached to the bottom of said car, said basket brace being able to support a connecting lever, swingingly secured therein; an oscillating lever centrally disposed, pivotally secured Within the bottom of the said basket brace by bolt means connectedly attached to the center of said basket, and the middle of said lever; hole means in the ends of said swinging lever capable of receiving the loop ends of pull rods, secured therein in such manner as to be capable of co-acting in actuating the suspension shafts of a pair of trucks provided under a car.

4. In a switching machine having switch plows mounted on the ends of a pair of downwardly extending arms provided on the ends of a pair of suspension shafts, in such manner as to cause said plow to parallel the sides of a truck; a switch plow of length corresponding to the length of a truck, said plow having its end outwardly curved. suitably to cause such ends to closely approach the wheels ofsaid truck, when said plow is lowered; hole means provided near either end of said plow for its attachment to the ends of said arms, the switch plow capable of being carried horizontally by said arms, an oscillating lever mounted in a basket susparallel to the sides of said truck, and of pended fromthe center of the ear.

being also thereby raised and lowered, either All for the purposes specified.

when said arms are actuated by pull rod Davenport, Iowa, August 14th, A. i D. 5 means eo-actingly attached between the sus- 1920.

pension shaft to which one of said arms be- T longs, and a trip crank, or also when aetu- V THOMAS FITZGIBBOB ated by other pull rod means attached eo- Witnesses:

aetingly between the suspension shaft to o J osnH-I A. MEINHARDT,

10 which the other of said arms belongs, and J I-IN D. LQNERGAN. I 

